Fourth-Grader's Touching Tribute to Brother Wins Contest

Congratulations to Taylor Widman, of Libertyville, whose essay about her brother—who died of cancer when she was just a toddler—won a student writing contest. Read her essay on Patch.

Copeland Manor School fourth-grader Taylor Widman's essay about the big brother she lost to neuroblastoma cancer in 2005 was among the winning entries in a student writing contest sponsored by Creative Communication. Taylor's essay, "My Brother's Fight," received a Top Ten award in the third through sixth-grade age division. "Taylor wrote about her brother (Jake) who died of cancer and the impact it's had on her young life," said her father, Matt Widman, who with his wife, Ann, established the non-profit Super Jake Foundation to help families with children fighting pediatric cancer. Here is Taylor's essay: "My Brother's Fight" It all started when my brother, Jake, was diagnosed with neuroblastoma cancer. He just had a simple stomach ache …

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Angela Sykora

5:14 pm on Wednesday, April 24, 2013

I had the honor of "interviewing" Jake at my previous job before he passed away (half-interview/half play sword-fighting) and Taylor's essay really brought that memory back and made me smile. Jake truly was a little super hero who is still inspiring the fight in others. Congratulations, Taylor, Beautiful job!   more ›

Libertyville School to Host Regional Destination Imagination Tournament Saturday

Area elementary and middle school students will compete in the Far North Regional Tournament of Destination Imagination in Libertyville Saturday.

Libertyville students will put their problem-solving skills to the test Saturday, March 2 at the Far North Regional Tournament of Destination Imagination, a non-profit organization that fosters creativity and teamwork in the areas of science, technology engineering, math, the arts and service learning. The regional tournament will be held from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. at Highland Middle School at 310 W. Rockland Rd., in Libertyville. Parking will be limited. Click here to view the full event schedule for all participating teams. Awards will be held at Libertyville High School at 708 W. Park Ave. A record number of teams from Libertyville Elementary District 70 will participate in Saturday's tourament. Following local tournaments, the top-scoring …

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Libertyville to Award Tax Rebates

Village to rebate $1.9 million from special taxing district funds.

The Village of Libertyville will award more than $19 million in rebates from a special taxing district established in 1986 to raise money for downtown improvements, reported the Daily Herald. Among the 10 entities to receive these rebates are Libertyville Elementary District 70 ($716,331), Libertyville-Vernon Hills Area High School District 128 ($682,477) and the Cook Memorial Public Library District ($72,259).

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Libertyville District 70 Board Members Honored

Congratulations, Laura Beltchenko, Jennifer Lund and Maryann Ovassapian!

Libertyville Elementary District 70 board members Laura Beltchenko, Jennifer Lund and Maryann Ovassapian were honored by the Illinois Association of School Boards this month for their dedication to board work. The Illinois Association of School Boards honored all three members during an Oct. 10 dinner meeting.  Veteran board member Beltchenko maintained a Master School Board member status, and was honored for all her hard work. Lund received a Level 1 award in the Master School Board Member Program. School Board President Ovassapian reached her Master School Board member status, and also was recognized for reaching Level 1 and Level 2. Julie Damenti, the District 70 board's newest member, and Supt. Dr. Guy Schumacher also attended the …

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Four Spots to Be Open on Libertyville District 70 Board

Are you interested in serving on the school board?

The Libertyville Elementary District 70 Board of Education will have four, three-year positions open on the April 9 General Election ballot. People interested in becoming school board candidates may begin circulating nomination papers on Sept. 25. Election packets are available at the District 70 Educational Resource Center, 1381 W. Lake St., Libertyville. The first day to file completed papers is Dec. 17, with a deadline of Dec. 24. The ERC will be open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Dec. 17 and during normal business days, Monday through Friday. As Dec. 24 is part of District 70’s winter break, the ERC will be open from 2-5 p.m. on Dec. 24 for election work only. A candidate must be at least 18 years of age, be a registered voter and have …

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New Vaccination Requirement for 2012-13 School Year

Students entering sixth and ninth grades will need to show proof that they received a booster shot against pertussis.

For the 2012-13 school year, all students entering sixth and ninth grades will be required to show proof that they have received a booster vaccination against pertussis, or whooping cough. The Lake County Health Department said Illinois has seen a resurgence of whooping cough in recent years, with 175 cases in 2011 compared to just 10 cases in 2000. Libertyville Elementary District 70 has seen just three reported cases of whooping cough this year, said Public Relations Facilitator Robin Smith Kollman. According to the Lake County Health Department, most children are vaccinated against pertussis as infants. That protection wanes over time, however, leaving pre-teens, teenagers and adults at risk of contracting whooping cough. The state of …

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Butterfield Students Explore Their Heritage

Third graders at Libertyville's elementary school recently created dolls to represent their family's background.

A third-grade classes at Butterfield School have found a unique way to learn about their ancestry. Inspired Barbara Cohen's classic Thanksgiving book, Molly's Pilgrim, the students each create a doll that showcases their own heritage.  Students and their parents researched the Internet, spoke with family members, and looked through old family photo albums to learn about their own ancestry. With the help of parent volunteers, the students used traditional fabrics, colors, ribbon, and whatever else they can find to create their dolls. The students then share their dolls with the rest of the third-grade classes. The experience not only provides an opportunity for students to learn about their own heritage, but it also allows them to learn …

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Butterfield School Collects Record Amount of Candies

The Libertyville elementary school broke the school record and collected 302 lbs of candy for troops and local organizations.

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District 70 Students’ Test Score Above State Average

Libertyville Elementary District 70 students scored above the state averages on standardized tests.

Libertyville Elementary District 70 students score well above the state averages on standardized tests for reading, mathematics and science, showing that year after year the school district maintains a high quality education. “We continue to be proud of our students’ performance on state assessments,” Kathy Dinger, the district’s director of curriculum and instruction, told the school board during a Monday night meeting where the Illinois School Report Cards for 2011 were revealed. “The benchmark to meet adequate yearly progress has climbed to 85 percent and we celebrate that overall, 95 percent of our students meet and exceed state standards and have consistently shown that level of success for several years.” Libertyville Elementary …

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Libertyville Elementary District 70 Honored with Bright A+ Award

The school district was honored for its high student academic performance.

Libertyville Elementary District 70 has been honored for its high student academic performance with a Bright A+ Award. The 2011 Bright A+ Award is based on school districts with academic performance in the top 5 percent of the state. Libertyville was one of 59 districts in Illinois out of 868 to receive the award, now in its 13th year. ''Truly, this is a testament to the district, to all of our students, parents and staff,” Superintendent Guy Schumacher said. “We’re in the top 5 percent in the state; Kudos to everyone for working so hard.” SchoolSearch, an Illinois company that provides school information to companies relocating employees, presents the award. The award is based on the Illinois Standards Achievement Test scores on reading, …

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